Church Membership, 1694 to 1799 Extracted from First Church of Middleborough, Mass: Mr. Putnams Century and Half Discourses An Historical Account and a Catalogue of Members Published by the Church, 1854

Transcribed by Jane Devlin

EXPLANATORY NOTICE

The Descriptive Catalogue contains the names of all persons who have been or are members of the First Church in Middleboro', including the successive pastors, so far as records and other documents which the committee have been able to examine will show.

The half-way covenant, which was in practice from the earliest records until about 1760, has in some cases made it difficult to determine the question of full membership. The existing church records do not give the admissions of all, as is evident from other proceedings of the church; and the absence of all records (except the FULLER copy of the organization) until 1708, makes it almost certain that a portion of the admissions of that period of thirteen years have not been ascertained. Much care has been taken to enrol none but members in full communion; and the committe are not sure but a few others, excluded for want of fuller evidence, were not also members.

It will be seen that the Catalogue is columnar in three respects, namely:-- the regular numbering of the whole church; the dates of admission; and the names of the members, followed by a particular notice of each - the whole occupying but one line when practicable. The order of the particular notices is as follows:--

A reference to ancestry or kindred, or both, by abbreviations and the regular numbers if in the church, or by christian name if not.

Reference to the wife or wives by their regular numbers in parenthesis, if members, of by their whole original name if not.

The year of marriage

Time of death and the age

This order varies only in the case of married women, where the name of the husband, or reference to his number, is placed next after her name, and the reference to kindred after her original surname. In a few instances, where nothing is known of a member, one or more of their children have been entered in the line. Members whose time of admission is unknown have been inserted near the time when they were found to have been such.

The fourteen members from Nos. 21 to 34 inclusive, were probably nearly all admitted during the time of which there are no records.

The double dating of the years before Sept. 1752, is made to agree with New Style, but the day of the month conforms to the records. To bring these to New Style, add ten days to the dates prior to the year 1700, and eleven days to dates occurring between 1700 and Sept. 2, 1852, when the New Style was first established in England.

The reference to kindred used in this Catalogue of church members is extended to the Addenda at the end; and the abbreviation ad. indicates such reference.

ABBREVIATIONS

KINDRED

CHURCHES

fa = father

CCC = Central Congregational Church of Middleboro'

grfa = grandfather

N.P. = North Parish, Middleboro

grgrfa = great grandfather

W.P. = West Parish, Middleboro'

mo = mother

MISCELLANEOUS

br = brother

abt = about

sis = sister

ad = addenda

s =son

ae = age

dau = daughter

Afr = African

chi = child or children

bap = baptised

h = husband

bef = before

w = wife

b = born

wid = widow

chh = church

m = married

d = died

sr = senior

dis = dismissed to another church

jr = junior

dea = deacon

COUNTRIES

ex = excluded

Eng = England

fr = from

Ir = Ireland or Irish

Ind = Indian

TOWNS

o = original or maiden name

Barnst = Barnstable

p = page

Bridg'r = Bridgewater

re = removed from town & no record of dismission

Carv = Carver

re in = resides in town or State specified

Hal'x = Halifax

re-ad = readmitted to this church after dismission to another

Plym = Plymouth

Rev. = Reverend

Sandw = Sandwich

M.F. = The May-Flower

Scitu = Scituate

unc = uncertain

War'm = Wareham

unm = unmarried

Figures in paraentheses thus (2) refer to the regular number of the husband or wife; when separated by a comma thus (2, 12) the indicate successive husbands or wives and refer to them. Figures not in parentheses, and preceded by abbreviations, refer to the ancestors or kindred indicated, thus fa 20 shows the father may be found at No. 20. Remarks and references in brackets apply to the person preceding, and who is not a member of this church.

The names of members admitted by letters of recommendation from other churches are followed, without the comma, by fr and the name of the town or place. Names of the churches are not usually given.

When either th, st, or d follows the figures for the age, the person is suposed to have attained to within six months of the age stated; without these additions, the exact age may exceed the figures six months.